FM18 Facing the Future
by Miz Em
Summary: Granger Clan Saga. Set after Thanksgiving. They finally have Thanksgiving dinner.


Facing the future A/N: Set after "Thanksgiving". They finally have Thanksgiving dinner.  
--

"Alright, already!" Annoyed by the insistent knocking at his door, Rafe started in surprise when he saw Verity through the peephole. He couldn't open the door fast enough. "Verity! Hi!"

Verity smiled, a warm, tender smile that set off a curl of desire at the pit of his belly. He swallowed hard. "Um, would you like to come in?"

"I just wanted to make sure you're okay." She hesitated, "After yesterday... you know."

Rafe smiled, "I'm fine. We didn't encounter too much resistance when we went in for the twins."

Her eyes noted the bruise just under his collarbone, then took in the finely cut pecs and abdominal muscles.

"Like what you see?" Rafe held his breath, almost afraid of what she would say.

The smoky gold eyes darkened, and her lips curved in a half smile. But she didn't answer. She moved past him and wandered into the apartment. A simple, bachelor apartment, very little in the way of furnishing, that said much about the long hours he had to put in as an FBI agent. She leaned a hip against the counter, and caught her breath as she turned and found him right behind her.

"Don't tease me," Rafe's eyes were hot with desire, his mouth close to her parted lips. "Why are you here, Verity? Why the about-face?"

Gently, she raised her hand to trace his face. "No about-face, Rafe," she said hesitantly. "I.. I wanted you to kiss me, that night at Uncle Don's. But I was ashamed that I could want another man so soon after..."

His mouth captured hers as he pressed close to her. His tongue twirled in to tease hers, moaning when she responded. He picked her up and headed to his bedroom.

-----

"What time are we supposed to be at your parents?" Rafe murmured drowsily, as he ran his fingers through her hair. "I think I'm supposed to bring potato salad."

Verity laughed softly, "Did Cameron issue orders for the second Thanksgiving dinner?"

Rafe grinned, "It was Brandon actually. Said something about having something to give thanks for."

She was quiet, relieved that things had worked out relatively well for her brother. "Why was Cameron so set against you at first?"

He got out of bed restlessly, and Verity regretted the question. "You don't have to..."

"It's okay," he sighed, "You should know, anyway. Besides, there's no real reason to hide it now."

"I know Cameron tried to help you and your mom out. Then Dad and Tyler had to go and help him when something went wrong."

"There's not much else to tell. Except that when Cameron got there, my father's dead body was sprawled on the floor. Cameron didn't ask any questions, and got us out anyway, because we were very badly hurt. But he thought I killed my father."

"Did you?"

"No."

"But you know who did."

Rafe looked at her, his eyes dark with carrying the secret all these years. Dealing with the knowledge that his mother had killed his father in self-defense, in defense of her son. A knowledge that could no longer hurt his mother, since she passed away several years ago. Still, it was difficult to divulge something like that, even after all those years.

Verity sat up and slid her arms around him for a hug. "Come on, I know a place that has the best potato salad."

He looked at her in surprise. 

"Cameron trusts you. He doesn't trust very many people. And my father trusts you. That's good enough for me." She smiled at the relief in his eyes. He looked as though a weight had lifted. "So lets go, already."

-----

Hannah looked up when Rafe's car pulled into the driveway. They were the last ones to get there. Her eyes widened slightly at the look on Verity's face as they walked up to the house. She darted a quick glance over to where Colby was busy playing with Bethany and the twins. Her mouth softened with amusement to see Brandon hovering close by his sons. 

Colby looked up and met her eyes. She smiled in response to his smile, and wondered for the gazillionth time if he had some sort of radar for her. He always seemed to know when she was looking at him. She saw his gaze sharpen as Rafe and Verity came in the door, and moved closer to him when his eyes narrowed. 

"Stop," she murmured, laughing at the indignant look he sent her. "You knew it would happen. Eventually." 

He growled something indistinguishable and picked Bethany up for a cuddle. 

Brandon snorted a laugh, but stifled it when the narrowed green gaze swung to him. "Sorry," he muttered, but he didn't sound in the least bit contrite.

"Rafe, you owe my daughter your life," Justin all but shouted across the room, eyes dancing with amusement when Colby's gaze cut over to him. 

"Oh, Daddy, stop it," Verity smiled at her father and gave him a kiss on his cheek. She turned to her mother and asked, "Where should I put this?" Her eyes widened when she saw Rafe move purposefully towards her father.

"My intentions are entirely honorable," he said quietly, meeting Colby's hard gaze.

"Probably why you're still standing," Cameron said with amusement from where he was lounging with Erin in his arms. He'd wondered how his father would react.

"Hurt her and you die, Navy SEAL or not," Colby snarled. Bethany whimpered at the tone of her grandfather's voice, and Colby turned away from Rafe to sooth her. 

Tyler snickered, then quickly asked before his father's gaze swung to him, "So when do we eat?" He shrugged off the taunts and jeers from his siblings as they made their way into the dining room. "Bet you were all thinking the same thing, just didn't have the guts to ask," he retorted. "Yummy!" he said when he saw the ham Brandon brought for their Thanksgiving dinner.

"This Neanderthal is who you wanted to marry?" Cameron asked Giselle dryly. "Sure you don't want to change your mind?" 

She laughed in response, moving closer to Tyler and hugging him. Giselle sat next to Tyler, with Erin on her other side. The two women had become close friends, especially since they'd got engaged. They'd been planning their weddings together. Cameron settled in the chair on the other side of Erin.

Brandon set his sons in high chairs close to his own place at the table. He lifted the twins into the chairs a little awkwardly, but he was quickly learning that Quade needed to be secured first. Quinn was the more obedient of the two. He rolled his eyes when Quade tossed his baby fork onto the ground. 

"Tell him no, Brandon," Colby said quietly. 

"Stop that, Quade," Brandon said sharply. He washed the baby fork and put it back on the tray. Quade pouted mutinously, as his hand crept back to the fork. "I'll spank you if you do that again." Brandon was relieved to see Quade stop. He wasn't sure if he could really have spanked him if Quade hadn't listened. "Don't make Grandpa mad." He added for good measure. Quade's eyes widened as they swung to Colby.

Colby shook his head at Brandon. "You're supposed to discipline him, not me."

Brandon shrugged, "I'm doing the best I can. You're the scary one." That set his sisters giggling, Colby had been a soft touch for them. Brandon settled Quinn in his own high chair, happy that Quinn didn't throw anything.

"Are those our high chairs?" Tyler asked with interest. "I can't believe you still have them. Yeah, look, Cameron made that mark!"

"I made biscuits," Hannah said softly, laughing when her children looked at her avidly. "One each."

"Only one each?" Cameron asked in dismay. "Mama! You hardly ever make them! You couldn't have made a few more each?"

"There's plenty of food, Cameron," Colby said dryly, "You're not going to starve."

"It's not about starving, Dad!" Tyler put in. "Mama's biscuits. Crusty on the outside, light and airy on the inside. Drizzled with honey. To die for!"

Verity laughed at the astonished look on Rafe's face. "Tyler and Cameron love Mama's biscuits."

"Um, I'd say that was an understatement," he responded, still astounded that Tyler could wax poetical about biscuits.

"You can have mine, Tyler," Hannah said softly. She laughed at the chorus of protests from the rest of her children as Tyler triumphantly scooped up two biscuits onto his plate. 

"Aww, come on!" Brandon protested, when Erin put her biscuit on Cameron's plate, and Giselle added her biscuit to Tyler's pile. 

Colby shook his head in resignation. Some day, his children would act their age. Maybe. "Will you children just eat already? That's a fine example you're setting for Bethany and the twins."

Brandon sighed as food went everywhere while his twins ate. "How did you even put up with all of us at the same time? I'm not sure I can handle these two. And this is when they're not throwing stuff around."

"One day at a time, Brandon, one day at a time," Colby said on a sigh. 

"More, Nana?" Quinn asked Hannah, holding up a piece of ham. She smiled and pressed a kiss on his forehead as she cut him up a few more pieces of ham.

"No water! Want juice!" Quade stormed when he discovered water in his sippy cup.

"Drink your water, Quade," Brandon's hand stopped Quade's arm as he thumped the cup on his tray. 

"No!" Quade shouted and threw the cup, spilling its contents on Hannah. "Want juice!"

Brandon picked Quade up and spanked him sharply once on his bottom, and set him back in his high chair. He looked up, startled when Rafe got up, so quickly that he turned his chair over. Rafe's eyes were blazing. 

"Rafe," Colby said calmly. The table was silent except for Quade's wails. "Brandon has to discipline Quade."

Stiffly, Rafe picked up his chair and sat back down, calming somewhat when he realized that Brandon had stopped even before he reacted. "I'm sorry," he said awkwardly.

Brandon nodded, but his attention was back on his son, "Quade, I told you to stop that. Stop crying. Look what you did to Nana. That's bad. Tell Nana you're sorry. Now, please."

Quade sniffled, "Sowwy Nana." 

"I'm sorry, Mama," Brandon murmured in frustration. 

Hannah shook her head. "It's just water." Her heart went out to Brandon, thrust suddenly into fatherhood. She and Colby had a hard enough time growing into it, she felt for her son. 

"I see he takes after Cameron in temperament," Colby murmured. He sighed softly. Poor Brandon. 

Cameron looked startled. He looked at Quade, then back to his parents. And didn't know what to say. Erin slid her arm around him to comfort him. 

"When do they grow out of it?" Brandon asked his father. 

Colby gazed around the table at his children. He looked inutterably weary. "I'll let you know when it happens."

The awkward silence was punctuated only by Bethany's cooing. 

Hannah pressed a kiss on Colby's temple, "It's not that bad, honey," she murmured softly.

"Sometimes, it feels that bad," Colby said wearily.

"Gampah!" Bethany suddenly babbled. 

"Oh my God!" Keeley was shocked. "Oh my God! She just said Grandpa!"

"Figures," Justin said in mock disgust. He laughed as he cooed to his daughter, "Say Papa."

Colby's face softened. He didn't think Bethany really said Grandpa, but it lightened his heart to see her babbling happily. He relaxed as the conversation slowly picked up around him. 

"Dessert, anyone?" Erin's soft voice asked. "Giselle and I made tiramisu." She was gratified to hear a general chorus of approval.

"You're wrong, you know," Erin murmured as she handed Colby his dessert. He looked up at her surprise. She rarely said anything to him. "Cameron's a very responsible man."

He smiled at her, touched by her defense of his son, "I know and I'm sorry. I'm just very tired." She pressed an affectionate kiss on his cheek. Surprised by the kiss, he said gently, "Ah, Erin, he's lucky to have you."

"I'm lucky to have him," she returned the smile, her eyes sparkling as she sat down next to Cameron.

Cameron swallowed a lump in his throat at the exchange. He pressed a kiss on Erin's lips, "I love you."

"Nana, cawwy me?" Quinn whimpered, holding his arms up to Hannah. Her face softened as she picked him up. She cleaned him up and settled him in her lap, cradling him against her chest. His eyelids drooped in exhaustion as she rocked him gently. 

Colby smiled at the once familiar sight. He turned as Quade sniffled. "Grandpa will clean you up, Quade," he murmured tenderly, getting up to do that. He settled Quade into his lap. "Think you can behave long enough to go to sleep?" He laughed when Quade nodded, eyes heavy. "God help me, but I didn't think I'd be doing this again," he said in amusement. 

Hannah smiled, "We used to have two each in our laps, remember that?"

"Hard to forget something like that, and then we added Verity," Colby said dryly. "Are you hiring a nanny, Brandon?"

"I think I have to, Dad," Brandon said anxiously, "It's that or daycare. I don't want to impose on Mama everyday."

"You know I don't mind, Brandon," Hannah murmured softly.

"I want you to enjoy them, Mama, not have to be responsible for them," Brandon kissed his mother. He grinned with mischief, "Though it wouldn't hurt my feelings if you helped me interview for the nanny."

Hannah laughed, and patted him affectionately on the cheek. "How are the wedding plans coming along?" She asked, amused when Erin blushed. 

Giselle bubbled with enthusiasm, "Well, I've decided on my wedding gown."

"It's the shoes she's having trouble with," Tyler teased, laughing when it earned him a nudge in the ribs. 

"And I think we've finally agreed on a double wedding," Cameron brushed gentle fingers along Erin's blushing cheeks.

"Just don't ask Keeley about Unity candles," Colby rolled his eyes at Keeley. He laughed when Justin nodded vehemently, then wince when Keeley elbowed him indignantly. He glanced over to Verity, noting the hand she had nestled in Rafe's hand. She looked happy. He looked up to see Rafe's eyes on him. 

"I'll cherish and protect her, I promise," Rafe said seriously. 

Verity looked at him in surprise. She kissed him on his lips, earning them catcalls from her brothers.

"You just need to love her. The rest will take care of itself," Colby murmured. He looked over to Hannah who smiled at him. "It always has." 


End file.
